Interesting article in this month's HISPANIC Magazine under "Summer Escapes":
The Dominican Alps
While its lavish, all inclusive beachside resorts and world class golf courses have made the Dominican Republic one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, one of the country's most distinctive attractions remains largely unknown and seldom visited. Smack in the middle of Hispaniola, the island the DR shares with Haiti, the tallest mountain in all of the Caribbean rises grandly to an elevation of over 10,000 feet above sea level.
Pico Duarte, the craggy crown of the country's Cordillera Central mountain range, towers higher than any mountain to be found in 38 of the U.S. states. It overshadows by far the loftiest peaks of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and other neighboring island nations.
Pico Duarte is surrounded by the Armando Bermudez National Park, one of several large protected areas in the country that have made the DR a regional leader in environmental conservation. Hikes to the summit, which can take up to three days roundtrip, are demanding and require advance planning. Jarabacoa, the major town in the area, helps set the mood with its abundance of Swiss-style cabins. Along the way, visitors can experience rushing mountain streams, three ecological zones each with their own distinct varieties of flora and fauna, and that most atypical Caribbean experience, an occasional hint of frost and ice.
The Dominican Alps
While its lavish, all inclusive beachside resorts and world class golf courses have made the Dominican Republic one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean, one of the country's most distinctive attractions remains largely unknown and seldom visited. Smack in the middle of Hispaniola, the island the DR shares with Haiti, the tallest mountain in all of the Caribbean rises grandly to an elevation of over 10,000 feet above sea level.
Pico Duarte, the craggy crown of the country's Cordillera Central mountain range, towers higher than any mountain to be found in 38 of the U.S. states. It overshadows by far the loftiest peaks of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and other neighboring island nations.
Pico Duarte is surrounded by the Armando Bermudez National Park, one of several large protected areas in the country that have made the DR a regional leader in environmental conservation. Hikes to the summit, which can take up to three days roundtrip, are demanding and require advance planning. Jarabacoa, the major town in the area, helps set the mood with its abundance of Swiss-style cabins. Along the way, visitors can experience rushing mountain streams, three ecological zones each with their own distinct varieties of flora and fauna, and that most atypical Caribbean experience, an occasional hint of frost and ice.
